Installation panel for an inflatable dome

ABSTRACT

For a dome-like structure used as protection over a pool or a similar site and internally supported by pressure air, an improved installation panel containing the access opening or door to the protected area which is readily incorporated at any selected location in the structure at said site, rather than at the factory where the dome is made, so that the location selected is assured of being optimum for the convenience and use requirements of the door.

United States Patent Kastner 1 1 Oct. 8, 1974 [54] INSTALLATION PANEL FOR AN 3,456,403 7/1969 Batterson 52/2 IN L T O 3,762,108 10/1973 Pierson 52/2 Inventor: Ledyard Kastner, 356 Ferres Rd.,

Seaford, NY. 11783 Filed: Oct. 19, 1972 Appl. No.: 299,070

US. Cl 52/2, 52/204, 52/747 Int. Cl E04b l/345 Field of Search 52/2, 86, 204, 63, 747;

' 135/1 R, 15 CF; 24/73 HS; 49/166 References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2/1960 Clinch", 52/2 x 10/1962 Bird 3/1966 Reffell 135 15 CF x Primary Examinerl-1enry C. Sutherland Assistant Examiner-Carl D. Friedman Attorney, Agent, or FirmBauer and Amer [5 7 ABSTRACT For a dome-like structure used as protection over a pool or a similar site and internally supported by pressure air, an improved installationpanel containing the access opening or door to the protected area which is readily incorporated at any selected location in the structure at said site, rather than at the factory where the dome is made, so that the location selected is assured of being optimum for the convenience and-use requirements of the door.

4 C1aims 8 Drawing Figures PATENTEDBET 8 3,839,832

0 FIG. 3

INSTALLATION PANEL FOR AN INFLATABLE DOME The present invention relates generally to improvements for an air-supported dome, and more particularly to a door or similar installation panel for this type of structure that is readily and effectively incorporated as an integral part thereof at the site of its use.

Plastic dome-like coverings or structures are being widely used as weather barriers about pools, tennis courts, and the like. A typical dome is economically factory-produced using heat sealing techniques and is readily installed at the site without supporting structure because it is capable of being held in an elevated condi' tion by an internal pressure which exceeds ambient pressure. Although the requisite level of internal pressure can be effectively maintained despite some leakage or loss thereof through the dome, there cannot be any excessive leakage or loss. Thus, the access opening or door to the area enclosed by the dome typically has a zipper closure. The panel containing said opening or door typically also is installed at the factory during the construction of the dome so that said panel, similar to the other structure panels, is appropriately connected or incorporated into the whole by hermetic heat seals or in other ways so as to minimize pressure loss.

Broadly, it is an object of the present invention to provide an improved installation door or similar panel for an air-supported dome which is readily installed at the site of use, thereby overcoming the shortcomings of the prior art. Specifically, it is an object to provide a dome which is constructed in accordance with economical mass production techniques and nevertheless has structural features which cooperate with features on the installation panel hereof to enable 'on-site installation while maintaining the hermetic quality of the dome.

An installation according to the present invention includes webbing in a peripheral location that, during installation thereof, is in facing relation to stratgically located structural webbing provided throughout the dome. Thus, the on-site installation procedure contemplates an installation of any desired length, and if required, an air-tight, adhesive securement of the webbings, and rivets to prevent their inadvertent detachment.

The above brief description, as well as further objects, features and advantages of the present invention, will be more fully appreciated by reference to the following detailed description of a presently preferred, but nonetheless illustrative embodiment in accordance with the present invention, when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, whereini FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an exemplary domelike structure using installation panels according to the present invention which are advantageously installed at the site where the structure is used;

FIG. 2 is a side elevational view, on an enlarged scale and in section taken on line 2--2 of FIG. 1, illustrating structural features of the individual panels making up the structure;

FIG. 3 is a vertical sectional view, taken along lines 33 of FIG. 1, illustrating structural features of the anchoring cable for the structure;

FIG. 4 is a horizontal elevational view, in section taken on line 44 of FIG. 1, illustrating the structural features of an emergency exit for the structure;

FIG. 5 is a vertical sectional view, taken along lines 55 of FIG. 1, illustrating structural details for an air duct communicating with the interior of the structure;

FIG. 6 is a horizontal elevational view, taken along lines 6-6 of FIG. 1, showing further structural details of the air duct of FIG. 5; and

FIGS. 7 and 8 are related sectional views illustrating the manner of installing rivets during placement of the installation panels of the present invention.

Reference is made to FIG. 1 wherein there is shown a dome-like structure, generally designated 10, of the type that is used for weather barrier protection about a pool, tennis court or the like. As generally understood, the structure 10 is formed by heat sealing together, as at the junctions 12, a plurality of generally rectangular plastic panels, herein individually and collectively designated 14, so that said structure panels 14 cooperate to bound an internal, closed area 16 about the pool, tennis court, or whatever other facility the structure 10 is used to provide weather protection for. In accordance with present practice, not only are the panels 14 fabricated of heat sealable plastic to facilitate their interconnection at the locations 12, but the weight of the plastic is also easily supported by a differential internal pressure, i.e., a greater pressure within the enclosure 16 than outside of it, which pressure differential is supplied by a conventional electric squirrel cage blower 18 or the like in communication with the enclosure 16.

Despite its obvious disadvantageous consequences, the prior art practice contemplated providingall access openings for the enclosed area 16 to be providedin the structure 10 at the factory where the structure is manufactured, presumably so that the heat sealing technique used at locations 12 to interconnect the panels 14 can also be used to render air-tight said access openings to the enclosure. Thus, such openings as the opening 20 for the emergency door structure 22, opening 24 for the previously noted blower l8, and most important opening 26 for the frequently used door 28 of the structure 10, all were installed at the factory and thus at locations based on information transmitted to the manufacturer. On numerous occasions, the information provided is erroneous, resulting in one or more of the openings 20, 24 and 26 being improperly or inconveniently located in the structure. Naturally, the aforesaid is totally avoided for all practical purposes if said openings 20, 24 and 26 are made at the site where the structure 10 is used. However, this requires being able to readily close these openings with panels containing the components belonging therein in a manner which is airtight and thus compatible with supporting the structure 10 with internal pressure.

, In accordance with the present invention, the aforesaid openings 20, 26 and 24 are readily closed with a unique installation panel in an airtight fashion, said installation panel appropriately embodying either the emergency door construction 22, the air duct for the blower 18, or the access door 28. This is achieved, in part, using to advantage nonextensible webbing 30 which in turn is advantageously located as horizontal and vertically oriented structural members throughout the structure 10. That is, as generally understood, webbing 30, being non-extensible, is strategically located in substantially vertically oriented fashion at the spaced junctures 12 where the adjacent panels 14 are interconnected to each other and. as a consequence. prevent over-inflation and distortion of the structure 10.

Specifically, in FIG. 2, there is illustrated an cxemplary manner in which the webbing 30 is incorporated between adjacent panels 14 at the junctures 12. The peripheral portions 32 of the adjacent panel are placed in overlapping relation, thereby defining a compartment 34 therebetween in which the webbing 30 is placed and the compartment is then completed by the application of a heat seal 36 on opposite sides. It will also be understood that the webbing 30 is strategically located in a substantially horizontal orientation at the location 38,-also for the purpose of preventing overinflation and distortion in the structure 10, as well as providing structural stability to the structure. Although not shown, it will be understood that the webbing 30 at the location 38 is also heat sealed in interposed position between peripheral edges 32 of adjacent panels 14 in the manner already described in connection with FIG. 2. It will soon be apparent how the installed webbing 30 is utilized in achieving airtight on-site installation of the installation panels of the present invention. It is suffice at this point, however, to note that the webbing 30 by virtue of being strategically located at each otthe vertical locations 12 as well as the horizontal location 38 affords the selection of the location for the installation panel at almost any location throughout the dome structure 10. This, in an obvious manner, facilitates the on-site selection of the location of the installation panel without any special factory preparation of the factorymanufactured dome 10.

In addition to the strategically located webbing 30, conventional construction of the dome also includes, as is perhaps best illustrated in FIG. 3, the use of a cable 40 which is threaded through a bottom compartment 42 formed using the bottom peripheral portion 44 of the interconnected panels 14 which are heat sealed at 46 and otherwise unattached so as to function as an air flap which is pressed by the internal pressure against a support surface 48 to thereby minimize leakage of the pressure air beneath the bottom edge 50 of the dome 10.

Reference is now made to the additional FIGS. 4-8, inclusive, which illustrate the facilitated manner of making an on-site, airtight installation of an installation panel of the present invention. As exemplary of the foregoing, reference should be had to the emergency door structure 22 which, as illustrated in FIG. 1, has at an external end a door 52 mounted for opening and closing movements within a supporting jamb 54. Peripherally connected to extend from the jamb 54 are plastic panels 56 which cooperate to define a passageway which serves as a closure for the previously noted opening which communicates with the dome enclosed area 16. The selection of the opening 20 as the location for the emergency door structure 22 will be understood to have been done at the site that the structure 10 is used and thus is optimum from the point of view of convenience, safety and other such factors. The airtight connection that is achieved for the opening 20, as will now be described, can best be understood in connection with FIG. 4.

As illustrated in FIG. 4, opening 20 is, in effect, the area coextensive with a selected structural panel 14. Said selected panel 14 has, as previously noted, webbing 20 at opposite vertical locations 12, as well as webbing along the horizontal location 38 which coincides with the top of the emergency door structure 22. The first step after the selection of the panel 14 that will underlie the emergency door structure 22 is the placement of adhesive tape 58, both opposite sides of which are coated with adhesive, along the bounding webbing lengths 30 or, in other words, over the rectangular pattern of webbing 30 which bounds the rectangular opening of the passageway 56. Next, the free ends of the passageway panels 56 which, as illustrated in FIG. 4, are also finished with heat-sealed webbing 30, are pressed into adhesive contact against the adhesive tape 58 and thus the facing webbings 30 are adhesively secured to each other.

The aforesaid adhesive securement of the facing webbings 30 will be understood to be airtight, but the same is obviously vulnerable to inadvertent detachment. Thus, according to the present invention, said adhesive securement is supplemented by rivets 60 disposed in holding relation at spaced intervals along the facing, adhesively secured together webbings 30, all as may be readily understood by progressive examination of FIGS. 7 and 8. Specifically, each rivet 60 is projected through a hole 62 which is made through the webbing in any appropriate manner, as for example with a soldering iron. The rivet is of the type which has a flange .64 which engages the structure which bounds the entrance opening of the holes 62 and thus enables the rivet heat portion 66 to be pushed within the rivet nose structure 68 causing expansion of the same. Expansion of the rivet nose 60 contemplates frictional engagement of the nose with a washer 70 located on the opposite side of the materials being riveted together by the rivet 60. In this manner, inadvertent disengagement of the adhesively secured together webbings 30 is prevented, and thus the airtight connection of the passage way opening 56 about the opening 20 is maintained.

Returning to FIG. 4, which illustrates the final step, the construction panel 14 is then provided with a cen tral, longitudinally oriented opening 72 by severing the plastic and reinforcing the edges bounding this opening with the adjacent folded-over constructions 74. Again using double-adhesive tape 58, a zipper 76 is connected in spanning relation across the opening 72 and the previously described rivets 60 applied at spaced intervals at the locations 78 and 80.

In FIG. 6, an exemplary manner is illustrated of accommodating the blower 18 using an installation panel 82 which includes, in a central location, an air duct construction 84 which, at one end, communicates with the outlet of the blower 18 and at the other end, as at 86, with the enclosed area 16 of the dome structure 10. Here also, an airtight connection is made with a selected underlying panel 14 by establishing an adhesive securement between facing webbings 30 and supplementing that with strategically applied rivets 60 at the locations 88 and 90, which prevent inadvertent disengagement of this adhesive securement. After installation of the rivets, the portion of the underlying panels 14 between the rivet connections 88 and 90 is cut away as unnecessary.

FIG. 5 illustrates further structural details connected with the field installation of the air duct 84, and in particular illustrates that the installation panel 82 also includes an air flap 44 heat sealed at 46 to provide a compartment 42 for the dome anchoring cable 40. If the cable 40 is threaded through the compartment 42 before installation of the panel 82, it is a simple matter to merely sever the cable 40 to provide an end which can then be threaded through the compartment 42 and retled to the remaining length of the cable.

For brevitys sake, the description of the installation of the zipper panel 28 has been dispensed with, since the same can readily be understood and appreciated from the description that has already been provided regarding the on-site installation of installation panel 82. It will suffice to note that panel 28 is readily installed as a closure for the opening 26 using the already de scribed field joints at the two spaced apart verticle junctures 12 and the upper horizontal juncture 38. Moreover, the panel 28 includes the previously described cable-accommodating structure with its air flap 44. Still further, as in the case of the air duct 84, after installation panel 28 has been installed, the body of the underlying construction panel 14 is cut away and removed so that panel 28 is the only panel occupying the opening 26. To permit passage into and out of the dome structure 10, panel 28 includes a centrally located, vertically oriented zipper 92.

Throughout the application reference is made to an airtight connection or joint that is afforded by the double-sided adhesive tape 58. Although such a joint is oftentimes helpful and nice to have, it is not always necessary, and often inflatable dome structures will be substantially airtight without the provision of the adhesive means 58. When the structure is inflated, the overlapping panels are caused to contact each other along the adjacent surfaces and thus form an airtight connection. However, if the added protection of the adhesive means 58 is desired, the same may be provided in accordance with the teaching of this invention.

By utilizing the teaching of the present invention, it is possible to make the structure-1O of any desired length. Thus, in accordance with the teaching of the invention, the dome structure may be increased in length simply by adding to the structure additional panels 14. The insert panels 14 will include the compartments 34 along the sides thereof to which such insert panels are to be secured to the remaining panels 14 of the existing dome structure. Obviously, the compartments 34 will contain within them the inextensible webbing members 30. The compartmented sides of the insert panels 14 are then secured and connected to the next adjacent already existing panels 14 of the dome structure by the application of the securing means 60 passing through the compartments 62.

The application of aligned holes in each of the underlying compartments will be performed in accordance wtih the teaching of the invention. Similarly, the insert panels 14 that may be added to the dome structure 10 to extend the length thereof will be made to include, of course, the same cable-accommodating structure with the air flaps 44 in the same manner as the other panels 14 are disclosed to be constructed.

Referring to FIG. 1, it will be noted that a cabana enclosure may be included in the present dome structure 10 by utilizing the'teaching of the invention. In this connection, the cabana enclosure is generally identified by the numeral 92 and may be placed conveniently along any wall or in any corner of the dome structure 10 such as is shown in FIG. 1. There it will be noted that the cabana enclosure has been conveniently shown as having two sides 94 and 96, each of which is connected to a respective junction 12. Each of the panels or sides 94 and 96 is provided with the compartment 34 which includes the inextensible webbing member 30. v The compartment 34 or peripheral portion 32 of the sides 94 and 96 is placed in overlying relation with the corner junctions 12 as shown in FIG. I of the drawing and there secured together by passing the securing means through aligned holes 62 of the compartments of both the sides 94 or 96 and the junctions 12 to which they are to be connected. Inasmuch as the sides 94 and 96 are interior and non-load bearing walls, the use of adhesive means such as the double-sided tape 58 or any other form of adhesive means is unnecessary. However, the same may be utilized if desired.

In practice, it has been found that by leaving the tops of the cabana 92 open, air inflating the dome 10 may enter the top of the cabana 92 and thus circulate throughout the same and in the same manner cause the sides 94 and 96 to space themselves from the walls of the dome to which they are connected. For this reason, the walls 94 and 96 after being connected to the junctions 12 as shown, merely hang down from their top connections with the junctions 12 and thus form a flat wall 98 which may have a zipper or snaps to facilitate the opening and closing of such wall when a person intends to utilize the cabana arrangement.

It will be recognized that the teaching of the present invention enables the placement and utilization of the cabana 92 at any convenient comer of the dome structure. Naturally, more elaborate cabana arrangements may be provided at any other portion of the dome structure by introducing multi-sided walls. It is interesting to note that in the event the dome structure 10 is to be deflated for any reason whatever, it is important to obviate the presence of any rigidifying structural elements from the interior of the dome which might tend 'to pierce or damage the dome cover. By utilizing the broad teaching of the present invention for the inclusion of the cabana enclosure within the dome 10, all damaging obstructions are avoided.

Quite obviously, any tears in the dome 10 are easily and quickly repaired simply by replacing the panel in which the same occurs merely by utilizing the teaching of this invention. In the past such damaged portions were repaired in a makeshift manner by the application of adhesives which were unsightly and often short lasting. With the teaching of the present invention, whole portions of the dome It) may be replaced without affecting the appearance or functional integrity of the resultant structure.

What is claimed is:

1. In an inflation structure having a plurality of interconnected panels, an insert panel for insertion into and removal from the structure comprising, a closed compartment formed along the side of the insert panel to be inserted into the structure adjacent one of said plurality of interconnected panels, a closed compartment formed along the respective side of said one adjacent panel, an inextensible member contained and movable within and along the length of the confines of each of said compartments, said compartments of each of said panels being positioned in overlying surface engaging relationship and securing means securing said compartments of said insert panel and said one adjacent panel together with one of said compartments overlying the other of said compartments, said securing means extending through each of said overlying compartments and their respective inextensible members to secure said compartments and inextensible members together such that the surfaces of the overlying compartments are air-tightly engaged when the structure is inflated.

2. In an inflatable structure as in claim 1, an adhesive means extending along and between each of said overlying compartments to additionally secure said com partments airtight to each other.

3. The method of connecting together panels of an inflatable structure comprising forming a compartment along the sides of the panels to be connected together, movably containing an inextensible member within each of the compartments, placing the compartments of the panels to be connected together in overlying airtight engaging relationship, providing aligned holes hesive therebetween. 

1. In an inflation structure having a plurality of interconnected panels, an insert panel for insertion into and removal from the structure comprising, a closed compartment formed along the side of the insert panel to be inserted into the structure adjacent one of said plurality of interconnected panels, a closed compartment formed along the respective side of said one adjacent panel, an inextensible member contained and movable within and along the length of the confines of each of said compartments, said compartments of each of said panels being positioned in overlying surface engaging relationship and securing means securing said compartments of said insert panel and said one adjacent panel together with one of said compartments overlying the other of said compartments, said securing means extending through each of said overlying compartments and their respective inextensible members to secure said compartments and inextensible members together such that the surfaces of the overlying compartments are air-tightly engaged when the structure is inflated.
 2. In an inflatable structure as in claim 1, an adhesive means extending along and between each of said overlying compartments to additionally secure said compartments airtight to each other.
 3. The method of connecting together panels of an inflatable structure comprising forming a compartment along the sides of the panels to be connected together, movably containing an inextensible member within each of the compartments, placing the compartments of the panels to be connected together in overlying air-tight engaging relationship, providing aligned holes through each of the overlying compartments and their contained inextensible members, and positioning securing means through the aligned holes and securing the overlying compartments and contained members together with the compartments being in air-tight engaging relationship when the structure is inflated.
 4. The method of connecting together panels of an inflatable structure as in claim 3, airtightly adhering the overlying compartments together by interposing an adhesive therebetween. 